Sean Durkan
Ottawa Bureau

p. 5.

Most hooker killers go free

OTTAWA — Killers of prostitutes have more than a 50% chance of getting away with murder, figures show.

Of the 63 slayings of hookers between 1991 and 1995, 34 (54%) remained unsolved at the beginning of this year, StatsCan reported yesterday in its survey of street prostitution.

That compares to the unsolved rate of 20% for all other murders.

"The private nature of a street prostitute's activities can make the identification of a killer very difficult — all the more so when that person is a stranger," StatsCan reports.

Clients were, or are believed to be, responsible for 50 of the 63 hooker murders, pimps for three, spouses or lovers for five and drug connections for five.

Assault

StatsCan also reports that one in every five charges laid for procuring the services of a prostitute involves an assault, sexual or otherwise.

The other side of the story is there were 16 murders committed by prostitutes from 1991-95.

The victims were 10 clients, one pimp and five friends or acquaintances of the killer. All except for one, were men.

StatsCan found that women in the hooker trade were more likely to be charged than men — and far more likely to be jailed.

A study of convictions for 1993 and 1994 showed 39% of the women received jail time, compared to 3% of males, and that twice as many men (78%) escaped with fines or similar or lesser sentences.